Surprise, Surprise

Her Mom called her downstairs, and Scarlet felt her heart speeding up, she clenched her fists on the sheets, cause she was scared, scared that if she went downstairs and saw that letter of rejection, she'd fall apart, and that was the least thing she wanted to do in front of her Mother, after all her mother had seen in life, breaking in front of her felt like, stabbing her own heart. Her Mom called again, and she knew she had to go, of course they won't reject her.

She has worked hard for that college, she had to, she had to get in it, she had to.

She blew out a sigh, and got up, her long hair shadowing her eyes, she pulled them back, and tied a ponytail on them, she got a haircut, every week, but still, her hair grew mad, even in two days, she looked like she hasn't had a haircut, since ages. Once she got tired, so got a bob cut, and in two weeks her hair were again, her waist length. Not just her hair, her Eyes were even weird, They were of violet color, she never saw anyone having that color of eye.

She walked down the stairs, her heart still pounding, it was beating so loud, and she wondered if her Mom could hear it, she stood, out the kitchen, her hands were sweating so she cleaned them off her jeans, took a deep breath, and went in.

''What you doing up there?'' her Mom said, her forehead creased, she shrugged, because she knew, if she spoke now, her voice would probably break, whenever she was this much nervous or scared, her words came out more like a sob.

Her Mom eyed her warily, and outstretched her hand, ''You never told me you applied for a college named Sacred Legacy? strange name.'' her mother said, there were some mail letters in her hand, she shook her head, she hadn't applied in such a college, there were three letters, she didn't open even one, just flipped through them to check for Harvard, her heart dropped down, ''It's okay.. baby.. perhaps they are posting late this year.'' Her mother said, and placed her hand on her shoulder.

She nodded, still didn't utter a word, and motioned to the letters, and turned around, and went upstairs, she threw the letters, on the side table, and pressed her hands on her scalp. If Levi can get in Harvard she can too. Consoling herself she went downstairs again, it was time for dinner.

That night when she opened her laptop, to check her mail, there were two dozen mails from Sacred Legacy, what the hell, perhaps it was spam, she thought and laid on her bed after that, opened the Ebook, to start where she left the new Novel she was reading, reading novel, was a fine way to disappear, to turn back to all that was going on. She wasn't a coward, but sometimes it was just hard to deal through this much, Everything will be fine. She said to herself.

The next morning when she woke up, and when downstairs, her Father, her Stepfather actually, was reading newspaper, when she came he looked up, and smiled. ''one of the Admin buildings in Harvard, caught fire last night.'' he said, and she shuddered.

''How? i mean What happened? any serious damage?'' she asked her dad, while taking a bowl out for cereal.

''Nah, No serious damage, but they can't find the reason.'' he said with a shrug, she nodded, when she was pouring milk into the cereal, her mother came in and smiled at her. Her mother was like that, she smiled all the time, she was really nice with everyone, even with the people I hated, like my brother, Levi, i hate him, he got into Harvard with no effort, and ever since he has moved to college, he never came to meet, he never even mailed us, which is rude, still my Parents love him and they leave mails for him, and he mostly replies after weeks, she hates his guts. After breakfast she went upstairs, her friends have texted her, trying to know about whether she got in, she didn't reply. Two of them have even got their letters, she sighed and sank down on her bed.

Through her window she saw, Patrick aka Peck' waving at her, and she smiled, ''Come out.'' he mouthed and she nodded, she hasn't changed her Pj's yet, so she got up, took a shower, and then went out, Peck and she has been, living in the same town, since they were born, he was her best friend. She felt so easy with him, she knew he'll somehow manage to make her mood better. That was the thing about Peck, he was always there, whenever she needed. So she went out with him.

They were sitting in Barb's, the coffee shop they have been coming since they were into hot chocolate, all the journey of hot chocolate to smoothies, smoothies to coffee, and now finally black coffee, they spent in Barb's. It was their favorite place so far.

''So tell me, what happened, why i found you looking so sulky, in a morning like this one?'' he asked while gesturing around them.

''I still haven't got the letter.'' she said and sighed, she felt like crying, and she knew she can cry in front of him.

''That's not the big problem,'' he said, and then added, ''Perhaps they are sending late this year.'' 

''Tina got hers.'' She replied, with a disgusted face, even the coffee today tasted like crap.

''Scar..'' he said, his voice dropping off, she shook her head, and tears were spilling out of her eyes, before she knew.

He inched his chair towards her, and hugged her, she hugged him back, and cried in the crook of his shoulder.

He stroked her hair gently, he always made fun of her hair, they were silky, and Black, but they still seemed funny to him.

he moved her a little away, come on, get up, we need to get out of here.'' he said, and pulled her arm.

''Where?'' she asked, bewildered. ''No more questions, you have to go wherever i take you. Consider it an emergency party'' he said and she smiled, couldn't help it.

He took her to a mall, they went to the bowling side, and started their game, each time they strolled the ball, they would say, whose empire they were hitting, she mostly hit, Harvard, Levi, Tina, some other bitchy things, and she felt light, they ate ice cream afterwards, and then went home. When she smiled, Peck smiled too, he smiled too much, when he smiled, his whole face smiled. ''That's my girl, when you don't smile you look the ugliest person I've met.'' he said and she laughed, punching him in the stomach.

When they reached home, Peck always walked her to her home first, but when they reached her home, the door was opened ajar, she felt her stomach drop, they both ran in, ''Mom!'' she yelled, but nothing had happened they were sitting in the living room, she sighed, but when she entered there were also two men sitting on the front couch, they were strange looking men, they were wearing cloaks, black big cloaks, one of the men had his hood taken off, and the other was still hooded, she raised her eyebrows at her Mom, but her Mom didn't budge, ''What's going on?'' she asked but still, her parents didn't move, the man turned around, and he had Violet eyes just like hers, she looked at him confused.

''Scarlet, it must be you, you've grown up.'' he said, smiling and she couldn't get it, how could this man know who she is. ''We're here to take you back, dear.'' he added, and her mouth dropped open, take her where?

''Where you want to take her?'' Peck asked and moved in front of Scarlet, The man tilted his head, and eyes Peck, like there was an alien in front of him, he shook his head, to the other guy, and he in a mere second threw something at Peck, he fall, to the floor, ''Peck!'' she screamed and sat down behind him, she tried to wake him up, but he didn't move.

''What have you done to him?'' She screamed, and the guy said, ''Don't worry he's not dead, Yet.'' in a stern voice.

''You son of a bitch, what do you want from us?'' she shouted again.

''We're here to take you, cause we got no response to our letter. Sacred Legacy has it's own ways. Even if a student doesn't want to come.'' he said, and she felt like killing him, she was crying, and her Parents looked like they weren't here, and her best friend was on the floor, what could be worse.

''I'm not going with you anywhere, I haven't even applied for that College.'' she shouted, he sighed, and said, ''You are going with us, and it's an order, your will doesn't matter.'' he said, and before she could say anything, the hooded man threw something at her too, she felt pain in her throat and she fell on the floor too, and everything blacked out.

....